Kabajungu is a farmer from Uganda. She is married and a mother of seven children.
Since 2017, Kabajungu has had a swelling on her inner arm. The pain makes it hard for her to dig and lift heavy objects.
Kabajungu traveled to our medical partner’s care center to receive treatment. On May 9, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Kabajungu needs help to raise $196 to fund this procedure.
She says, “I am worried my arm might get deformed because now I cannot flex it easily.”
Kabajungu underwent a mass removal procedure.
She is no longer in pain and discomfort. After recovery she will be able to do any work at home and resume farming.
She says, “I am now much better. It was my first time to have surgery. It all went well.”
Kabajungu was submitted by Joan Kadagaya, SAFE Senior Program Coordinator at African Mission Healthcare.
Kabajungu received treatment at Holy Family Virika Hospital in Uganda. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.
Kabajungu's profile was published to start raising funds.
Kabajungu's treatment was fully funded.
What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?
Broadly speaking, masses come in two types: benign (not cancer) and malignant (cancer). The types of tumors are many and could range from osteosarcoma of the jaw (a bone tumor) to thyroid enlargement to breast lump to lipoma (benign fat tumour), among others. The symptoms vary depending on the type of tumor. Not all tumors, cancerous or benign, show symptoms. A common benign tumor, such as a lipoma (fatty tumor), may cause local pressure and pain, or may be disfiguring and socially stigmatizing. An ovarian mass may be benign or cancerous and may cause pain, bleeding, or, if malignant, death.
What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?
If the tumor is cancerous, it is usually aggressive and invasive. If not treated (like certain skin cancers, for example) there could be tissue destruction, pain, deformity, and ultimately death.
What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?
Some of these patients have lived with potentially disfiguring or uncomfortable swellings for years.
What does the treatment process look like?
This treatment depends on the location of the mass and whether it is cancerous or benign.
What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?
In the case of cancer, the procedure can be life-saving. In the case of benign tumors, patients can be free of pain, discomfort, or social stigma.
What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?
If the tumor is cancerous, the surgeon will only try to remove it if the procedure would be curative. If the cancer has already spread, then surgery cannot help. Most of these surgeries are not very risky.
How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?
There are few qualified facilities and surgeons to perform this procedure.
What are the alternatives to this treatment?
If the tumor is cancerous, chemotherapy may help, but that treatment is even less available than surgery. If the tumor is benign, it depends on the condition but just watching the mass would be one option.